Compactly storable rolling wall assembly



July 30, 1968 H. A. PuLAsKI 3,394496 COMPACTLY STORABLE ROLLING WALL ASSEMBLY Filed May 9. 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 4, z a 6, ,y zza wi.: 9 --i-- z Q z ZZ July 30, 1968 Filed May 9, 1966 H. A` PULASKI' COMPACTLY STORABLE ROLLING WALL ASSEMBLY 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 United States Patent O 3,394,496 COMPACTLY STORABLE ROLLING WALL ASSE'MBLY Harry A. Pulaski, 3115 Doyne Road, Pasadena, Calif. 91107 Filed May 9, 1966, Ser. No. 548,509

' Claims. (Cl. 49-127) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A compactly storable rolling wall assembly having branchout storage tracks in unrestricted communication with a main track at all times and free of movable or pivoting switch means for diverting the rolling Sections intc :and out of the storage tracks. The divertin-g function is performed by cam means part of which is Stationarily supported and part of which is carried by a castering wheel unit and effective to Steer this unit as it passes a junction between the main track and the branchout storage tracks.

This nvention rel-ates to movable partitions and more particularly to a unique rolling wall assembly comprising a plurality of independent wall Sections supported on castering rollers confined to roll in a track having branchout storage Sections and including simple rugged means for guiding the 'wall Sections selectively into and out of predetermined ones of the branchout tracks.

Mov-able partitions have been proposed heretofore in a variety of constructions and usually include provision for storing the component Sections at one end of the room or within special storage recesses. Commonly, the ceiling or fioor guide tracks, or both, are provided with various expedients for switching the Sections onto different storage tracks. Such switching facilities include a variety of hinginfg, Swiveling and pivoting arran-gements associated with the junctions between the main and branchout tracks and are subject to frequent misfunctioning and malfunctioning arising from many causes including clogging with dirt and debris, maladjustment of the parts, Shifting of the building components, expansion and contraction of the building and movable wall Sections, and -faulty handlin-g by persons unfamiliar with the construction and its proper use.

It is therefore -a principal object of the present nvention to avoid the foregoin-g and other Shortcomings of other prior -movable wall assemblies and to provide a simple construction automatically responsive to movement of the individual 'wall Sections along the fioor track to channel the Sections selectively into a predetermined storage position in a given branch track.

The present w-all assembly features a plurality of generally similar wall Sections or panels designed to be sup' ported entirely from a rigid guide track flush with the adjacent floor area and having their upper ends supported against sidewise sway by rollers operating within guide tracks secured to the ceiling or other fixed overhead structure.

Principal support for the respective wall Sections comprises castering rollers supported near either lower corner having a radial fiange extending into a groove in the fioor track. This groove is preferably uniform and extends the full length of both the main and the branchout tracks, the latter being arrangeable in a variety of patterns depending upon the needs of a particular operatin-g environment. Selected ones of the castering rollers, usually one for each wall section, are equipped with a rigid guide cam cooperatin-g with a control cam secured to the fioor adjacent one side of the track groove to guide the associated caster into land out of a predetermined branchout track. No switching mechanisms other than the mentioned coice operating cams are necessary and the track groove is, at all times, unobstructed and free of moving parts throughout its length. Likewise, no switching devices, cams or other mechanisms are necessary for the upper or ceiling track.

By locating the guide and control cams carried for different wall Sections in different positions relative to the :groove of the floor track, a given wall section is selectively responsive to its own control ca-m and automatically routcd into va particular branchout track without need for action or manipulation on the part of the operator. Likewise, it will be understood that the branchout track can be located .at either end of the main track and on either or both Sides thereof by properly locating the guide and control cams.

Accordingly, it is a primary object of the present nvention to provide an improved rolling wall assembly comprising a plurality of independent wall Sections supported from below on castering rollers certain ones of 'which are equipped with guide cams cooperating with stationary control cams for guiding the wall Sections selectively into and out of predetermined branchout tracks.

Another object of the nvention is the provision of a rolling wall assembly having a plurality of si-rnilar wall Sections normally arranged in edge-to-edge alignment with one another and including simple castering roller means supporting each from a fioor track and featuring simple means for guiding the casters into and out of branchout tracks arrangeable in any of a variety of patterns opposite one or both ends of the main track. l

These and other more specific objects will appear upon reading the following specification and claims and upon considering in connection therewith the attached drawings to which they relate.

Referring now to the drawings in which preferred embodiments of the nvention are illustrated.

FIGURE l iS an elevational view showing one of the rolling wall Sections according to the present nvention supported between upper and lower trackways;

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary Sectional view on an enlarged Scale taken along line 2-2 on FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 iS a Sectional view taken along line 3-3 on FIGURE 2 and showing the caster in transition movement between the main track and a branchout therefrom;

FIGURE 4 is a cross-Section'al view on enlarged Scale taken along line -4-4 on FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 5 is a schematic view representing one arrangement for storing the wall Sections in closely spaced relation at one end of the track;

FIGURE 6 is a view similar to 'FIGURE 5 but Showing the Storage tracks partially at either end of the main track and at right angles to their normal closed positions;

FIGURE 7 shows still another Storage arrangement for a plurality of wall Sections;

FIGURE 8 shows Still another arrangement of the branchout tracks wit'h a pair of Storage tracks aligned with one another at either side of the main track; and

FIGURE 9 shows still another arrangement lof the branchout tracks at one end of the main track.

Referring now more particularly to F-IGURES 1 to 4, there is shown a typical installation wherein one of the independent rolling wall Sections 10 is shown supported on a fioor track 11 and beneath an upper ceiling guide track 12. Each of the wall Sections l10 may be of any suitable lightweight construction and preferably include resilient sealing strips 13, 13 along either Vertical edge. Floor track 11 is secured to the fioor with its upper Surface preferably lying flush with the adjacent fioor area. The track has arsingle shallow groove -15 of uniform depth which eXtendS lengthwise along the main Straight section of the tra-ck and along a suitable junction curve leading into each branchout track. This groove accommodates the mounting strips 21. Preferably there is a substantial gap I between mounting strip 21 and the lower face of track 12 which is closed by a suitable resilient sealing assembly. As herein shown, this assembly includes an inverted channel member 22 embracing the upper edge of the wall Section and supporting two or more resilient sealing strips 23, 23 having wiping contact with the lower face of guide track 12. The resilient rubber or plastic sealing strips 23 are urged into light Sealing contact with track 12 by Springs 24 (FIGURE 1) supported in wells opening through the upper edge of the wall section and bearing against the underside of channel member 22.

The weight of each wall section is carried by a pair ofK castering roller assemblies 26, there preferably being a pair of these assemblies located at the lower corners of each wall section. Each caster has an upright shank 28 rotatably seated in a bearing 29 brazed or otherwise secured to a bracket 30 suitably secured to the lower edge of Wall section 10. The lower end of shank 28 is rigidly secured to the horizontal leg of an L-shaped bracket 32 having a roller hub 33 rigidly clamped to its Vertical leg by a bolt 34. A roller bearing assembly 35 is held in as- Sembled position on hub 33 by bolt 34 and supports a roller 36 having a radial flange 37 projecting from its exterior. This flange has converging faces and seats loosely in track groove `15 in the manner best appearing in FIG- URE 2. Swiveling of caster 26 about its shank is facilitated by a roller bearing assembly 40 encircling its base with its upper surface .bearing against one or more shims 41. Although only one shim is shown, it will be understood that two or more shims of different thickness may be used as necessary for proper leveling and adjustment purposes. These shims are blanked from Sheet material of appropriate thicknesses and slotted through one end edge so as to be slidable into and out of assembled position relative to caster shan-k 28.

An important feature of the invention is the provision of appropriately designed cooperating guide and control cams having the typical configuration best shown in FIG- 'URES 2 and 3. Guide -cams 44 comprise rigid arcuate members secured to the lower portion of caster brackets 32 by screws 45. As herein shown, the camming surface 46 of cams 44 faces outwardly away from the caster bracket and cooperates with a complementally contoured cam surface 47 on control cam members 48. The latter are rigidly secured to floor track 11 by screws 49 opposite the junction of the main track section with one of the branchouts and in the proper position to guide fiange 37 out of the main track and into the associated branch track, an operation made clear by FIGURE 3. As there shown, the cooperating contacting surfaces of guide cam 44 and control cam 48 serve to swivel the caster about its Vertical axis as necessary to guide it out of the straight portion of the main track and into the branchout track as the caster advances toward the lower left corner of FIGURE 3. Likewise, if the caster is being advanced upwardly out of the branchout track, the two cams operate in the reverse manner to guide the roller back into the main track section. Actually, during return to the main track, this function is performed in whole or in part by the leading edge of flange 37 engaging the side of groove 15.

The gap between the lower edge of the wall Sections is preferably sealed from view by appearance cover members 50, 50 secured by screws 51 to brackets 30. The lower edge of each appearance strip carries a resilient Sealing 4 strip 52 having wiping contact with the floor and serving to exclude dirt and sound.

Referring now to FIGURES 5 through 9, there are shown typical arrangements of the wall Sections and of the branchout storage tracks therefor. -It will be under- Stood that these are merely typical and that various other arrangements are equally suitable Without departing from the principles of the present invention.

FIGURE 5 shows three rolling wall Sections 10 in closed position across a wide opening separating rooms and 61. Main track 11 includes a pair of storage tracks 62, 62 lying at an acute angle to one end of the main track and generally parallel to one another in the corner of room 61. The trailing casters 26 of the two wall sections at the upper end of FIGURE 5 are each equipped With a guide cam 44 of the type described in connection with FIGURES 2 and 3 and these cooperate with control cam 48 secured to the floor in the position shown. Neither caster for the third wall section requires a guide cam since this section never leaves the straight main track.

The operation of this embodiment of the invention will be quite apparent from the showing made in FIGURE 5 and from the details given above. To open rooms 60 and 61 to one another, it is merely necessary to roll the leading wall section at the upper end of FIGURE 5 toward the branchout tracks. The leading caster 1follows naturally along the straight track until it reaches the farthermost branchout whereupon its fiange 37 engages the side of the groove leading into the end branchout thereby rotating the caster appropriately for rolling movement along this track until the wall `Section is in the storage position indicated. The second or middle wall section is similarly moved into its storage position, as is the third wall section. The guide cams 44 of the first -moved sections then occupy the dotted line positions shown in FIG- URE S and are firmly held in this position by fianges 37.

Closure of the doors between rooms 60 and 61 is accomplished equally as expeditiously by rolling the end wall section along the straight track to its fully closed position and then proceeding to close each of the other wall Sections in order. During this process, cam 44 is guided back into the straight track by stationary cam 48 without attention from the user and without need for attention or action on his part.

FIGURE 6 shows another arrangement in which the wall Sections are storable partly at one end and partly at the opposite end of the main track and along branchout tracks 64 lying close to and parallel to one another and generally at right angles to the main track. In this arrangement, the two end wall Sections 10a utilize castering rollers without guide cams, whereas the two center wall sections 10b, 10b have guide cams 44b on their leading castering rollers which cooperate with fixed control cams 481; positioned as shown. The operation of this arrangement is believed self-evident from the foregoing description of FIGURE 5.

In the FIGURE 7 arrangement branchout tracks 65, 65 h ave the shape indicated and are disposed to one lateral Side and at one end of the main track. The leading wall section 10c requires no guide cam on either of its rollers but the leading caster of each of wall Sections 10d is provided with a guide cam `44c cooperating with a single stationary control cam 48c positioned as shown.

In the FIGURE 8 arrangement branchout tracks 66, 66 are disposed to either side and at one end of the main track with provisions for storing the leading wall Sections 108, 10e on the right hand branchout, and wall Sections 10, 10 on the left hand branchout. In this arrangement, each of the castering rollers 'is provided with a guide cam, it being pointcd out that guide cams 448 cooperate with control cams 48a and that cams 44 cooperate with control `cams 48.

In the FIGURE 9 arrangement, three branchout tracks 67, 68 and 69 lie generally parallel to one another at one end of the main track. The leading wall section 10g is stored on track 67 and requires no guide cam on either of its casters. Wall sections h are stored on track 68 and the leading caster of each is provided with a guide cam 44h which protrudes from the side of the caster a relatively shor-t distance and cooperates with control cam 48h. The leading casters of the last two wall sections 101' are equipped with guide cams 441' positioned somewhat farther from caster bracket 32 than is true of cam 44h of wall sections 10h and cooperate with a similarly located control cam 481' to store these sections on branchout track 69.

It will thus be appreciated that by appropriately positioning the different pairs of guide and control cams a considerable number of wall sections can be guided selectively lonto different sets of branchout tracks. While as herein shown and described the guide and control cams for wall sections 10h and 101' are shown as positioned different lateral distances from track groove 15, it will 'be readily apparent that this differential spacing can be in a vertical plane rather than a horizontal plane is desired since either arrangement will provide the same results. In this case, the different sets of cams will be positioned at different heights above the floor rather than at different lateral -distances from the track groove. The first described position has the advantage of using a very low height control cam thereby providing a minimum of obstruction across the space -occupied by the wall sections in their closed positions.

While the particular compactly fstorable rolling wall assembly herein shown and disclosed in detail is fully capable of attaining the objects and providing the advantages hereinbefore stated, it is to be understood that it is merely illustrative of the presently preferred embodiments of t'he invention and 'that no limitations are intended to the details of construction or design herein shown other than as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A sectional rolling wall assembly adapted to be stored compactly when not extended comprising: upper and lower rigid tracks in Vertical alignment and adapted to be fixedly secured one to the floor and one to'stationary structure of a building and each including main and branchout storage sections merging with one another smoothly and free of obstructions and moving switchng means mounted on either of said rigid tracks, said lower track having a shallow groove of generally uniform depth opening upwardly toward a downwardly facing channel in said upper track, a plurality of vertically disposed wall sections normally arranged in edge-to-edge relation between said upper and lower tracks, a pair of castering roller means mounted on the lower corners of each wall section and including a flanged roller seated in the groove of said lower track and cooperating therewith to support the weight of the associated wall section, a pair of guide means projecting upwardly from the upper corners of each wall section and into the channel of said upper track and cooperating therewith to maintain the wall sections in an upright position while rolling on said castering roller means, and first and second cam means mounted in part on the main body of selected ones of said castering rollers and in part stationarily on said lower track in a position to cooperate in guiding said selected castering rollers between said main and branchout track sections as the wall sections roll along said lower track.

2. A rolling wall assembly as defined in claim 1 characterized in that said castering rollers have a vertically disposed shank rotatable about the axis thereof and wherein said axis is disposed substantially above the horizontally disposed axis of the associated flanged roller.

3. A rolling wall assembly as defined in claim 1 characterized in that said selected castering rollers include a bracket extending along at least one side of said flanged roller and rigidly supporting aXle means for the roller, said first cam means comprising an elongated rigid arm means fixed to the lower end of said roller-supporting bracket and positioned to be engaged by said second cam means fixed to the floor as the roller approaches the junction of said branch and main track sections and effective on said first cam means to pivot the castering roller about its vertical axis thereby to guide the roller out of the main track section and into the storage branch section.

4. A rolling wall assembly as defined in claim 1 characterized in that said storage branch sections of said floor track include a plurality of sections lying generally parallel to one another and disposed entirely to one side of the main track section.

5. A rolling wall assembly as defined in claim 1 characterized in that said storage branch tracks include a plurality of sections lying generally at an acute angle to said main track section and disposed to store said wall sections in closely spaced side-by-side relation in planes generally parallel to the normal extended positions of said wall sections.

6. A rolling wall assembly as defined in claim 1 characterized in that said rigid floor track includes a plurality of storage branch sections disposed in part on the opposite sides of said main track section, each of said branch track sections having its own means fixed to the track and positioned to cooperate only with selected ones of cooperating means on selected ones of said castering rollers to guide said wall sections selectively from said main track section onto a predetermined one of said branch track sections.

7. A rolling wall assembly as defined in claim 5 characterized in that said cooperating means on selected castering rollers and on the floor are so arranged as to be effective in guiding selected ones of said wall sections onto a selected one of said branch track sections.

8. A sectional rolling Wall assembly comprising a plurality of wall sections normally supported in an upright coplanar edge-to-edge relation to form a wall between the floor and 'ceiling structure of a room and being shiftable edgewise into a compact storage position at one side of the room when in open position, said assembly including floor and ceiling tracks in fixed parallel relation one above the other and each including long straight sections merged through unobstructed junctions with a plurality of short generally parallel storage sections at one end of said main section, said floor and ceiling tracks having grooves opening toward one another and including a shallow groove of uniform depth substantially throughout the length of said floor track, said wall sections each being fitted at their upper corners with sidewise swaycontrol means projecting upwardly therefrom in contact with the vertical side walls of the groove in said ceiling track, a pair of castering roller means projecting downwardly from the lower corners of said wall sections including flanged rollers supported on the rim edges of the groove in said floor track with their flanges seated in said groove, rigid guide cams secured to one side of said castering roller means with the edge thereof positioned for Operating engagement with a cooperating stationary control cam immovably secured to the floor in position to pivot and guide said last-mentioned castering roller means out of the main track section and into a selected one of said branch track sections, and certain of the rigid guide cams being spaced differently from the groove in said floor track than others and cooperating with similarly positioned stationary control cams secured to the floor to guide other of said wall sections onto a different one of said branch track sections.

9. In a sectional rolling wall assembly of the type having independent wall sections supported for movement generally in the plane thereof from an extended position into compact storage position, that mprovement which comprises a rigid floor track having a main section and at least one branch section from an intermediate portion of said main section and each provided with a continuous groove therealong in free and continuous communication with one another at all times; that mprovement for supporting and guiding said independent wall sections selectively into said branchout Sections which comprises: castering roller means having a vertically disposed rotary mounting shank adapted to be journaled in an upright position in the lower edge of a Wall section adjacent a corner thereof and having a flanged roller adapted to seat in said grooved track, guide cam means carried along one side of said castering roller means, and control cam means adapted to be fixedly secured laterally of said track adjacent the junction of the main track and branch track Sections in position to engage said guide cam means and rotate said castering means about the axis of said rotary mounting shank as necessary to guide the same into a predetermined one of said branch track sections.

10. The invention as defined in claim 9 characterized 15 in the provision of adjustable shim means mountable 8 about the base of the mounting shank of said castering means.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,071,825 1/1963 Ferris 49-127 3,279,l23 10/1966 Genison 49-127 3,334,375 8/1967 Hubbard 49-127 X FOREIGN PATENTS 13,652 5/1898 Great Britain. 624,907 1/ 1936 Germany. 875,929 5/1953 Germany.

DAVID J. WILLIAMOWSKY, Primary Examinel'.

DENNIS L. TAYLOR, Assistant Examiner. 

